y'all rationing around here come on give me the i can't spring things food was in short
supply during the civil war so people often had to be creative here are 10 unconventional foods
that people enjoyed during the civil war rice and molasses white rice brown rice those are just some
of the rices i love molasses the sweetener that is extracted from various types of sugar cane is
a thick syrup that is black in color the syrup is made by first fermenting sugarcane juice and then
cooking it down to produce a dark brown liquid after the juice is cooked it is ground and then
treated with an enzyme to start the process of breaking down the sugar into its constituent parts
the resulting liquid is then filtered to remove any particles and the thick syrup is ready for use
it's probably fair to say that rice and molasses was a dish often found on a family's table during
the length of the civil war conflict the humble sweetener was being used as a staple
in both savory and sweet preparations molasses has been dubbed the new sugar by some in fact
you'll often find that a tablespoon of molasses contains more calcium than a serving of dairy and
the sweetener is also a good source of iron and fiber rice and molasses can both be used in many
other dishes with the sweetener often playing a secondary role to the other ingredients when
rice and molasses are combined the molasses adds a complex nutty flavor to the rice i'm a yoga nut
and i'm a nut nut the classic combination was a staple food during the times of the civil war but
brown rice and molasses is also a delicious option slosh what is that pancake bacon oil and flour
were used to make slosh or civil war soldiers made slash by frying bacon in tons of fat and then
adding in watered-down flour that was as thick as milk to the leftover bacon grease the concoction
sometimes known as kush may have included meat or just been composed of the grease after the meat
was fried alternatively crumbled cornbread might be added to the stew to give it some extra flavor
and texture slosh could be cooked until all of the liquid has evaporated providing it with a thicker
texture slapjack was a kind of slosh that used less water resulting in a flour paste that was
blended with fat and cooked on one side after that the pancake looking result also known as
a slapjack was turned and cooked thoroughly you ate something called sloosh in the southern army
you were given cornmeal and bacon which you cooked leaving a large amount of fat in the
pan the cornmeal was then spun around in the oil to produce the dough which was then formed into a
snake and wrapped around the ramrod of your musket before being cooked over the campfire this was a
quick and easy method of cooking a fulfilling and hearty meal with little to no ingredients horses
mules and even rats they feed us horse meat with traces of jockey meat food scarcity was
not much of a concern for the northern armies the union possessed a well-developed transportation
network that could provide whatever their forces required throughout the conflict there were times
when union forces did not get supplies for various reasons but in general union troops did not face
food shortages the confederacy on the other hand was the polar opposite during the war the south
had constant food shortages which further worsened as the conflict progressed in the south it was the
most influential people who received food supplies first during the civil war politicians and other
officials were the first to eat followed by troops citizens slaves and eventually captured union
soldiers held in different civil war prison camps around the south despite the fact that receiving
food was a top priority for confederate soldiers they frequently went hungry because of the poor
state of the confederate railroad network and general inadequate transportation infrastructure
any food produced had a difficult time reaching the troops or anybody else the union blockade
of southern seaports also handicapped the confederacy's abilities to get foods and
other essential supplies when things were tough troops would occasionally eat their
horses and mules rats were even eaten in times of acute need not a rat no rats
as the war progressed food shortages in the confederacy grew so severe that food
riots erupted in several southern cities hard tack it's a cracker the royal navy was one of
the first to mass-produce hard tack in large quantities production dates back to the 1660s
along with their substantial one gallon of beer ration english sailors were given up to a pound
of biscuits each day hardtack made from salt water and wheat flour provided a large amount of
nutritional content could sustain a crew at sea or an army in the field for weeks if not months
mama there's a kick like a mule drawing out every last trace of moisture is the
key to making the biscuits survive so long and prevent them from going rancid to accomplish this
hard tack slabs were cooked and re-baked up to four times if kept dry the biscuits would last
eternally when stored the heart attack would last so long american civil war troops were issued hard
attack made during the mexican-american war which had taken place 15 years earlier hard tech really
was an important part of the civil war soldiers diet it was simple to make full of nutrition
and easy to transport but it did lack flavor and a nice texture when it comes to the name
hardtack really was as solid as the name suggested the cracker-like food was approximately three by
three inches in size and about half an inch thick soldiers were commonly rationed a pound of hard
tack every day mold and bug infestations were common in hard tack especially when it wasn't
properly preserved this proved to be quite the problem if it was eaten after dark as
many soldiers couldn't tell the difference between bug-infested hard tack and their normal rations
although maybe it wasn't all bad the bugs probably added a little extra protein to their already
malnourished bodies as we keep moving on take a second to hit that like button would ya thank you
next commissary brazilian stew now chris this is brazil the civil war era was full of conflict on
the battlefield and on the dinner table the war forced americans to make do with less
and that often meant foregoing familiar foods in favor of cheap locally sourced ingredients
the result was a turning point in american cuisine and one of the first times that modern
cooking techniques from deep frying to braising were used to transform humble ingredients into
dishes that would stand the test of time on the battlefield the methods of cooking weren't at all
like that of a normal kitchen the unwholesome and sometimes dangerous ways of cooking inside
volunteer battalions concerned more than a few members of the u.s sanitary commission commonly
known as the sanitary they started experimenting with various cooking methods coming up with new
ways of using cooking equipment they would also encourage chefs to keep fat sugar and salt to a
minimum and to avoid overcooking beans there were over 18 soups stews meat and vegetable
dishes created during this time including a dish known as commissary brazilian stew cubed beef
was coated in vinegar and cooked with onions the combination simmered for many hours over low heat
and potatoes were occasionally added for a or supper that's just perfect for a wartime meal
commissary brazilian stew actually sounds pretty appetizing much more so than the likes of hardtack
and other civil war dishes water cakes and ash cakes cake represents joy no one's ever heard of
a wedding pie as you can imagine eating during the civil war may have been a difficult undertaking
especially for the typical american civil war southern soldier the union naval blockade had
taken its toll on goods smuggled in from other countries by 1862. constant pressure along the
mississippi river in the west and the shenandoah valley in the east made it difficult to maintain
a consistent food supply when it came to food southern soldiers were nothing if not resourceful
as shown by their invention of sloosh this is where the hoe cake comes in the whole cake was
made of cornmeal water and salt but was not quite a normal pastry by today's standards the resultant
batter was then cooked in animal fat resulting in a firm but flaky pancake water cakes similar
to their hokey counterpart were easy to make with a thick batter made from two softly beaten eggs
salt cold water and flour the batter was cooked and butter was used to enhance it an ash cake was
an eggless cake option similar to both the water cake and hoe cake cornmeal and hot water were used
to make ash cakes the mixture was molded into flat cakes covered in corn chucks and cooked over hot
ashes after adding salt salt pork or salt beef oh this is so good oh that's the way i like it
salty when it came to food during the civil war it was always a struggle to keep things
fresh and prevent them from spreading bacteria the most difficult issue was preserving meat
soldiers and civilians alike relied on salted beef and pork the situation and the hog raising south
swiftly deteriorated the lack of quality salt was becoming an issue and a lot of the meat rations
were going bad as a result the difficulty was exacerbated by speculation and shipment issues a
200 pound bag of salt cost 50 cents in new orleans at the start of the war the cost had risen to 25
by 1862. it's too much it's too much during this period salt beef was a normal ration that could
be switched out for salt pork both types of meat had a wide variety of applications they
both could be boiled served raw sandwiched between hard tack or stewed with beans according to many
salt pork and salt beef were an invaluable option during the war and a much better option to the
stringy and tougher salt horse that was also eaten during the times cornmeal his favorite food is
corn corn has always been a staple food for humans cornmeal is a grain product made by grinding dried
corn today most corn meal is made from yellow dent corn which is a variety that's considered
sweet meaning it has a high sugar content i have both type 1 and 2 diabetes ow cornmeal can be used
to make a variety of foods including cornbread biscuits and polenta cornmeal was another common
dietary item among confederate soldiers cornbread was a favorite southern delicacy but troops
sometimes lack the necessary materials to produce true cornbread from their cornmeal cornmeal on the
other hand was still used to make other dishes and was occasionally cooked without milk or eggs
to make a simple type of cornbread for soldiers to consume on the battlefield foraged foods spinach
mushroom foraging for wild foods is an ancient practice that has recently been making a comeback
from finding locally grown fruits and veggies to searching for mushrooms bugs and other edibles
foraging is a great way to get your daily dose of the nutrients your body needs
well not for everyone foraging can be an excellent addition to your survival arsenal that being said
before you set out into the great outdoors to find those coveted ramps or chanterelles it's
important to learn the basics of foraging as well as being able to identify common poisonous plants
even though today most people forage for fun or as a hobby things were much different back in
the wartime days while civil war soldiers took a variety of meals with them the truth is that
much of what they ate was foraged from the area they were occupying at the time soldiers would
frequently gather food from adjacent farms either amicably if the farm owner was kind or more often
by force if they were not whoa well don't tell me you're thinking about eating the forbidden fruit
that's exactly what i'm thinking if time allowed soldiers would also go hunting for wildlife
hunting and harvesting food from nearby farms on the other hand were not a particularly dependable
means to feed an army instead of relying on these sources for the majority of their food
most trips used hunting and foraging as a way to obtain extra rations or get access
to goods that would have not been available otherwise canned goods look at this can of tuna
starkis jerry most tuna don't make their cut when we think about disaster preparedness we
often think about stockpiling food and water that's important but there are other items
that you should have on hand in case of emergencies canned goods are a great way
to add nutritious food to your stockpile without a lot of extra effort they're easy to store and
provide a variety of nutrients during times of war families often find themselves with
little money canned goods are one of the best ways to save money during these times canned goods are
a great way to provide your family with nutritious food that is prepared and ready to go which can
help save time and money i can save all of us how we can save money canned goods were also an
essential on the battlefield as they were easy to travel with and could keep for much longer
than traditional fresh food options available to the average soldier because canned food rations
were pre-made meals that could be consumed warm or cold they quickly became a mainstay to the
war-weary men and effectively let battalions of soldiers eat when there weren't many other
options available not bad not bad get a taste of more great videos just tap or click hit that
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